KR20040049530A - Color image printing apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A device for printing a color image is provided to selectively drive a developer only corresponding to color data for developing colors that are applied to printed data, among plural developers, thereby improving a printing speed. CONSTITUTION: A storage portion(230) separately stores multicolored image data separated on the basis of colors applied to printed data in color memory regions. Plural developers have multicolored toners, and are driven by corresponding to the multicolored image data stored in the color memory regions. If color data for developing the colors exists in the multicolored image data stored in the color memory regions, a controller(240) drives a developer that supplies a corresponding color toner to a memory region where the color data exists.

Description

Color image printing apparatus and control method

The present invention relates to a color image printing apparatus and a control method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a color image printing apparatus capable of printing a color document using color-developers for color image development and a control method thereof. .

An image printing apparatus prints an image on recording paper, such as a copier, a printer, and a facsimile. Such an image printing apparatus includes an inkjet method, a laser printing method, and the like according to a printing method of a printing engine.

The color image printing apparatus to which the laser printing method is applied includes a photoreceptor, a photosensitive medium for forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to light emitted from the optical scanning device, a developing device and a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium. And a transfer apparatus for transferring the image developed on the medium to the recording medium. The developing device includes a plurality of developing devices for supplying color toners of yellow, magenta, cyan and black colors for developing a color image.

The printing operation of the color image printing apparatus having the above configuration is as follows.

First, the control unit for controlling the overall operation of the color image printing apparatus divides the print target data into image data for yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K) colors. The image data for the separated Y, C, M, and K colors are stored in the color memory areas of the storage unit, respectively. The controller outputs image data of Y, C, M, and K colors stored in each color memory area to the optical scanning device.

The Gwangju spectator irradiates the surface of the photosensitive medium with light corresponding to a yellow color among image data of Y, C, M and K colors input from the controller. Therefore, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive medium. Then, a yellow toner image is formed on the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium by a yellow developing device. The yellow toner image is transferred by the transfer belt.

Afterwards, Gwangju Sagi irradiates the surface of the photosensitive medium with light corresponding to cyan color. Thus, a new electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive medium. In the electrostatic latent image forming portion of the photosensitive medium, a cyan toner image is formed by toner discharged by a cyan developer. Then, the cyan toner image is transferred by the transfer belt and overlaps the yellow toner image on the transfer belt.

The same is repeated for the magenta and black toner in the same manner as described above. Thus, the transfer belt has a final image in which yellow, cyan, magenta and black toner images are superimposed. This final image is transferred to the supplied recording paper and then fixed by the fixing unit, thereby completing the printing operation.

As such, the conventional color image printing apparatus outputs all image data separated into Y, C, M, and K colors to the optical scanning device when the print data transmitted from the external device is color data. That is, not only image data in which color data exists for developing colors applied to print data but also image data in which color data does not exist are transmitted to the optical scanning device. Therefore, the developer that does not perform the developing operation is also driven.

For example, when a document written in red color is to be output, only a yellow and magenta developer can be driven to output a red color image. However, the conventional color image printing apparatus drives all four developing devices even in this case. In this case, the cyan and black developing devices are driven even though the developing work is not performed because there is no corresponding color data. As such, the developing device that does nothing has a problem that affects the printing speed or shortens the life of the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a color image printing apparatus capable of selectively driving only a developer corresponding to color data for developing colors applied to print data among a plurality of developing devices driven for color image printing, and a control method thereof. To provide.

1 is a block diagram showing an image printing system to which a color image printing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of image data stored in a memory area for each color; FIG.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the printing engine unit shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the color image printing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: computer 200: color image printing apparatus

210: operation panel unit 220: interface unit

230: storage unit 240: control unit

250: printing engine 251: photosensitive drum

254: developing unit 254a: Y developing unit

254b: C developer 254c: M developer

254d: K developing unit 255: driving selection unit

In order to solve the above technical problem, the color image printing apparatus according to the present invention, the storage unit for separating and storing the multi-color image data separated on the basis of the color applied to the print data received from the external device in the memory area for each color And developing the color applied to the print data to a plurality of developing devices including the multi-color toner and driven in correspondence to the multi-color image data stored in the color-specific memory areas, and to image data stored in the color-specific memory areas. And a color controller for driving a developer for supplying a toner of a color corresponding to a memory area in which the color data exists among the plurality of developing devices.

Here, the multicolor image data includes image data corresponding to yellow, cyan, magenta, and black colors.

Preferably, the apparatus further includes a driving selector for selectively driving the plurality of developing devices, wherein the control unit selects the driving so that the developing unit supplies a toner having a color corresponding to a memory area in which the color data exists. To control wealth.

The control unit may further include a data separator that separates the print data into the multi-color image data based on the color applied to the print data, wherein the multi-color image data separated by the data separator is included in the storage unit. Each color is stored in the memory area.

On the other hand, in order to solve the above technical problem, the control method of the color image printing apparatus for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium using a plurality of developing devices for supplying a multi-color toner according to the present invention, input from an external device Determining whether the print data is mono data or color data; and if the print data is color data, the print data is divided into the multi-color image data based on color information applied to the print data, and the memory area for each color. And storing the color data for developing the color applied to the print data in the multi-color image data stored in the color-specific memory areas, respectively. Which drives the developer to supply the toner of the color corresponding to the area. Steps.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing an image printing system to which a color image printing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Referring to the drawings, the image printing system includes a computer 100 and a color image printing apparatus 200 connected through a communication interface 150.

The computer 100 is an external device for transmitting data to be printed to the color image printing apparatus 200. A printer driver (not shown) installed in the computer 100 converts the selected print target file into print data recognizable by the color image printing apparatus 200 and transmits the converted print data to the color image printing apparatus 200 through the communication interface 150. .

The color image printing apparatus 200 processes so that an image corresponding to the print data transmitted from the computer 100 is recorded on the recording sheet.

The color image printing apparatus 200 includes an operation panel unit 210, an interface unit 220, a storage unit 230, a control unit 240, and a print engine unit 250.

The operation panel 210 is controlled by the input unit 212 provided with a plurality of keys for setting functions supported by the color image printing apparatus 200 and the control unit 240 to operate the color image printing apparatus 200. A display unit 214 for displaying the state is provided.

The interface unit 220 is connected to the computer 100 through the communication interface 150 to provide mutual data communication. As an example of the interface unit 220, a universal serial bus (USB) module may be applied.

The storage unit 230 includes a ROM 232 and a RAM 234.

The ROM 232 is a nonvolatile memory that stores various control programs necessary to implement the functions of the color image printing apparatus 200.

The RAM 234 is a volatile memory that temporarily stores print data transmitted from the computer 100 through the interface unit 220 and various data generated during the operation of the color image printing apparatus 200.

RAM 234 It is allocated to a memory area for each color for separately storing image data for yellow (Y), magenta (Magenta, M), cyan (C), and black (B) colors. Color-specific memory areas are adaptively allocated according to the size of the print data transmitted from the computer 100 through the interface unit 220. The size of the print data may vary depending on the size of the selected recording paper.

The color image printing apparatus prints color data by combining toners of yellow, cyan, magenta and black colors. For example, the red color is represented by a combination of yellow and cyan toners.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating image data stored in a memory area for each color when the print data of red color is received from the computer 100.

As shown in the figure, image data for Y, C, M, and K colors separated based on color information of the received print data are stored in each color memory area. At this time, the image data stored in each color memory area has a value of 1 or 0. The image data having a value of 1 is color data for developing a color applied to the received print data, and the image data having a value of 0 is non-color data not used for developing a color applied to the print data. In the present embodiment, color data having a value of 1 is represented by a black circle, and non-color data having a value of 0 is represented by a white circle.

Therefore, since the print data ('ga') to which the red color is applied can be developed in yellow and magenta colors, the color data is stored only in the memory areas of yellow and magenta colors. That is, the color data is stored only in the memory areas of yellow and magenta colors, and is stored in a predetermined area corresponding to the position of the received print data as shown in the drawing.

On the other hand, cyan and black colors are not used for red color development. Therefore, only non-color data is stored in the memory areas of cyan and black colors.

When power is applied to the color image printing apparatus 200, the controller 240 controls the overall operation of the color image printing apparatus 200 according to a control program stored in the storage 230.

When the print data is received from the computer 100, the controller 240 determines whether the received print data is mono data or color data. If the print data received from the computer 100 is color data, the controller 240 preferably includes a data separator 242 for separating the print data into image data for Y, C, M, and K colors. .

The data separator 242 is controlled by the controller 240 and separates the color data into image data for Y, C, M, and K colors. On the other hand, when the color data is received separately from the image data for the Y, C, M and K colors by the computer 100, the control unit 240 does not drive the data separation unit 242.

The controller 240 stores the image data for the Y, C, M, and K colors separated by the data separator 242 in each color memory area allocated to the RAM 234.

Before transmitting the image data to the print engine 250, the controller 240 checks the memory areas for each color to determine whether the color data exists in the image data stored in the memory areas for each color. When there is a memory area in which color data exists among the memory areas for each color, the controller 240 drives a developer for supplying a developer having a color corresponding to the memory area in which the color data exists.

On the other hand, the controller 240 controls the developer that supplies the developer of the color corresponding to the memory area in which the color data does not exist so as not to be driven. This means that image data corresponding to a memory area where color data does not exist is not transmitted to the print engine 250.

In other words, the controller 240 checks the memory areas for each color, and if there is at least one color data in the memory areas for each color, transmits the image data corresponding to the memory areas to the print engine 250. The developer for supplying a developer having a color corresponding to the memory area of the plurality of developers is controlled to be driven.

The print engine 250 is controlled by the controller 240 to perform a print job on the image data.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the print engine 250 shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the print engine 250 includes a photosensitive drum 251, a charger 252, a light scanning device 253, a developing device 254, a drive selector 255, a transfer device 256, A fixing unit 257 and a paper supply unit 258 are provided.

The charger 252 charges the photosensitive drum 251 applied to the photosensitive medium to a predetermined potential.

The optical scanning device 253 is controlled by the controller 240 and irradiates the photosensitive drum 251 with light corresponding to the image data transmitted from the controller 240. Therefore, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 251.

The developing apparatus 254 is a Y, C, M and K developing unit 254a for attaching four color toners of Y, C, M and K to the electrostatic latent image forming portion of the photosensitive drum 251 to form a toner image ( 254b) 254c and 254d.

Each of the developing devices 254a, 254b, 254c, and 254d is sequentially installed in a non-contact manner such that the surface of the photosensitive drum 251 and the surface of the developing roller 254e have a constant gap. In addition, each of the developing devices 254a, 254b, 254c, and 254d is sequentially driven in the set order, and the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive drum 251 by the optical scanning device 253 are developed with the corresponding color toner. do.

Each developing unit 254a, 254b, 254c, 254d is selectively driven by the selection signal of the developing unit drive selecting section 255. The developer driving selector 255 performs an on / off switching operation such that only a corresponding developer among the plurality of developers 254a, 254b, 254c, and 254d is driven according to a control signal of the controller 240. Therefore, only the developer selected by the developer drive selection unit 255 among the plurality of developers 254a, 254b, 254c, and 254d is driven.

The transfer device 256 transfers the transfer belt 256a to be a moving medium of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 251 and the first transfer roller 256b to transfer the toner image of the photosensitive drum 251 to the transfer belt 256a. And a second transfer roller 256c for transferring the toner image of the transfer belt 256a onto the recording paper P. FIG.

The transfer device 256 transfers the toner images of yellow, magenta, cyan and black colors formed on the transfer belt 256a onto the recording paper supplied from the paper supply unit 258.

The fixing unit 257 applies heat and pressure to the recording paper so that the transferred final image is fixed to the recording paper P. FIG.

As described above, the printing speed can be improved by selectively driving only a developer that supplies toner of a color corresponding to a memory area in which color data exists among the plurality of developing devices 254a, 254b, 254c, and 254d. .

Hereinafter, a method of controlling color image print autonomous according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

When print target data is received from the computer 100 which is an external device through the interface unit 220 (S300), the controller 240 determines whether the received print data is mono data or color data (S310).

As a result of the determination in step S310, when the print data received from the computer 100 is mono data, the control unit 240 temporarily stores the print data in the storage unit 230 and then transmits the print data to the print engine 250 for printing. Perform the work. At this time, the memory area of the RAM 234 is not divided. Further, only the K developer 254d for supplying the black toner among the plurality of developers 254a, 254b, 254c, 254d is driven. When the print data is mono data, the same operation as that of the general color image printing apparatus 200 is omitted.

On the other hand, when the determination result of step S310, if the print data received from the computer 100 is color data, the control unit 240 is based on the color information applied to the print data, the print data in the image of the Y, C, M and K colors The data separator 242 is controlled to separate the data. The image data for the Y, C, M, and K colors separated by the data separator 242 are stored in color memory regions allocated to the RAM 234, respectively (S330).

Then, the control unit 240 checks the memory area for each color before transmitting the image data stored in the memory area for each color to the print engine 250 (S340).

As a result of the determination in step S340, when there is a memory area where color data does not exist among the memory areas of Y, C, M, and K colors, the controller 240 prints image data corresponding to the memory area where color data does not exist. Do not transmit to the engine unit (250) (S350). Accordingly, the developer for supplying a developer having a color corresponding to a memory area in which only non-color data exists among the Y, C, M, and K developers 254a, 254b, 254c, and 254d is not driven.

On the other hand, when the determination result of step S340, if there is a memory area of the color data of the Y, C, M and K color memory area, the control unit 240 is the image data corresponding to the memory area where the color data exists The print engine 250 transmits the data (S370).

The print engine 250 performs a print job using the image data received from the controller 240 (S380).

Hereinafter, a process of performing a print job of the print engine 250 will be described, for example, when color data exists only in memory areas of yellow and magenta colors.

First, when the light irradiated from the optical scanning device 253 reaches the surface of the photosensitive drum 251 charged to a constant potential by the charger 252, the electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 251. The controller 240 controls the drive selector 255 to drive the Y developer 254a. The Y developer 254a discharges the yellow toner in accordance with the drive signal from the drive selector 255. Therefore, yellow toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image forming portion of the photosensitive drum 251 to form a yellow toner image. The yellow toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 251 is transferred to the transfer belt 256a.

When the transfer operation for the yellow toner is completed, a new electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 251 by the light irradiated by the optical scanning device 253. The controller 240 controls the drive selector 255 to drive the M developer 254c. The M developer 254c discharges magenta toner in accordance with the drive signal of the drive selector 255. Therefore, magenta toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image forming portion of the photosensitive drum 251 to form a magenta toner image. The magenta toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 251 is transferred to the transfer belt 256a and overlaps the yellow toner image on the transfer belt 256a.

The final image in which the yellow and magenta toner images are superimposed is transferred to the recording paper P by the transfer device 256. The final image transferred to the recording paper is fixed to the recording paper P by the fixing unit 257, thereby completing printing. As a result, an image of red color is printed on the recording paper P. FIG.

On the other hand, if all of the yellow, cyan, magenta and black color image data exist in the print data transmitted from the computer 100, yellow, cyan, magenta and black toner images on the transfer belt 256a in the same manner as described above. Can be overlaid to print a color image. In addition, it is a matter of course that the developing order of the developing apparatus 254 may vary depending on the manner set in the image printing apparatus.

As described so far, according to the color image printing apparatus and the control method thereof, the Y, C, M and K developers can be selectively driven depending on the presence or absence of color data for developing the color applied to the print data. Can be. That is, the printing speed can be improved by driving only the developer that supplies the developer of the color corresponding to the memory area in which the color data exists. In addition, the lifetime of the apparatus can be extended by not driving the developing device among the plurality of developing devices in which the developing operation is not performed.

Although the present invention has been described in detail through the representative embodiments, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. Will understand. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims below and equivalents thereof.

Claims (6)

A storage unit for separating and storing the multi-color image data separated on the basis of the color applied to the print data received from the external device in each color memory area; A plurality of developing devices including the multi-color toner and driven in correspondence to the multi-color image data stored in the color-specific memory areas; And When there is color data for developing the color applied to the print data in the image data stored in the memory area for each color, supplying toner of a color corresponding to a memory area in which the color data exists among the plurality of developing devices And a control unit for driving a developing device. The method of claim 1, And the multi-color image data is image data corresponding to yellow, cyan, magenta, and black colors. The method of claim 1, And a driving selector for selectively driving the plurality of developing devices. And the control unit controls the drive selection unit to drive a developer for supplying a toner of a color corresponding to a memory area in which the color data exists. The method of claim 1, The control unit includes a data separator for separating the print data into the multi-color image data based on the color applied to the print data, And the multi-color image data separated by the data separator is stored in the color-specific memory areas of the storage unit, respectively. A control method of a color image printing apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive medium by using a plurality of developing devices for supplying a multicolor toner, Determining whether the print data input from the external device is mono data or color data; When the print data is color data, separating the print data into the multi-color image data based on the color information applied to the print data and storing the print data in a color memory area, respectively; And When the color data for developing the color applied to the print data exists in the multi-color image data stored in the memory area for each color, the color corresponding to the memory area in which the color data exists among the plurality of developing devices is present. And driving a developer for supplying toner. The method of claim 5, The multi-color image data is a control method of a color image printing apparatus, characterized in that the image data of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black color.